Improvement in door-checks



UNITE'DISTATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM VON AUER, OF FLATBUSH, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO WILLIAM H. MOTT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IM PROVEMENT IN DOOR-CHECKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 198,553, dated December 25, 1877; application filed August 8, 1877.

To allzwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM VON Arms, of Flatbush, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Door-Chain, of which the following is a specification:

- Figure 1 is a face view, partly in section, of my improved door-chain; Fig. 2, a cross-section thereof on the line 0 c, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a cross-section on the line 70 70, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a horizontal section, showing the same attached to a door.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The object of this invention is to produce a door-chain which will not chafe or wear away the paint on the door or door-frame, and will not hang in theway and catch in ladies dresses, 8zc.obj ections which are connected with the .door chains ordinarily in use.

,. As heretoforemade door-chains were usually I attached. to the door-casings, and allowed to hang free therefrom, unless they were hooked into the slotted guide-plates which are attached to the doors. In opening or closing the doors the paint thereon was soon rubbed off by the chains, and the wood-work also injured.

My invention consists in combining the chain with a spring and inclosing-case, so that the chain willbe drawn into the case by the spring whenever the door is shut, and yet on opening the door the chain will be drawn partly out of the case, and withoutinjury to the wood-work or paint of the door, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

- y In the drawing. the letter A represents the case or box containing the door-chain, and B is the slotted guide-plate, which is attached either to the doorv or to the door-frame, to receive the loose end of the chain.

The case A may be attached either to the door frame or "to the door itself. Within the case A is secured one end of a spring, 0, which spring extends around a pulley or fliction-roller, D, which is hung within said case, and after passing around said pulley, the spring 0 connects with the inner end of the door-chain E. The chain passes out through a slot in the end of the case A, and has at its free end a hook or catch, F, which can be caused to engage in the slotted guide-piece B,

' as indicated in Figs'l and 3.

Now, whenever the door is shut, the spring 0 will draw the chain E into the case A, as indicated in Fig. 1, and in the same position will the chain be held by the spring, if the chain is not intended to connect the door with the door-frame.

Thus the chain is always out of the way when not to be used; but if the chain is hooked into the guide-piece B, and the door thereupon partly opened, the chain will be partly drawn out of the case A, as in Fig. 4, and perform thereby the function required of a door-chain.

G is a catch pivoted to the case A, and intended to engage behind the inner end of the chain when the same. has been drawn out of the case as far as shown in Fig. 4, to prevent the spring from drawing the chain and slamming the door. The catch is therefore useful when it is desired to leave the door partly open, but have the extent of opening limited by the chain.

Now, although it is preferable to have the spring as long as possible, and therefore to use the pulley D, yet this is not absolutely necessary, as a shorter spring, connecting directly with the end of the case A, where the pulley is now shown to be placed, may be caused to serve the same, or nearly the same, purpose.

I therefore do not confine myself to any special construction or arrangement of spring, nor to any peculiar or particular style of chain used in connection therewith.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the door chain E with the spring 0 and inclosing-case A, all arranged so t at the spring will draw the chain into the case, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination of the door chain E with the spring 0, pulley D, and case A, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination of the catch G with the door-chain E, spring 0, and case A, substantially as herein specified.

WM. VON AUER.

Witnesses WM. H. Mor'r, F. v. BRIESEN. 

